ARKANSAS, USA — A bill that would execute a feasibility study on a possible spaceport in Arkansas has been signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and is now Act 477.
Senator Justin Boyd from Fort Smith co-sponsored the bill that would begin the process of possibly building a spaceport in Arkansas.
The bill defines a "spaceport" as a facility used for the "takeoff, landing, retrieval, servicing, and monitoring of vehicles capable of entering space."
Act 477 directs the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to conduct a study that would assess the feasibility of building a spaceport using recommendations given in the Arkansas Council on Future Mobility's report in Dec. 2022.
The law also instructs the AEDC to analyze the demand and interest of developing a spaceport and possible locations.
Other parts of the study would have to look into the type of technology needed and how much it'd cost, the economic impact, and workforce requirements.
The bill officially became law on April 4, 2023.
The feasibility study is to be completed no later than Jan. 1, 2024.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.